SUG Denies Claims by Niger State Governor Over FUT Minna Bosso Campus
By Yahaya Zakka, Minna
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and the Students’ Union Government (SUG) of the Federal University of Technology, Minna, have dismissed claims made by Niger State Governor Mohammed Umar Bago regarding the status of the Bosso campus. The governor stated that the campus has been under lock and key for the past three years.
At a press briefing held at the university, the SUG refuted the governor’s remarks, confirming that academic activities are still taking place on the campus. Comrade Ezekiel Adaidu Machofo, president of NANS, verified that lectures and other academic engagements are ongoing and challenged the assertion of a three-year shutdown as false.
The SUG also reported that officials from the state government entered the female hostel on February 26, 2026, and ordered students to leave the premises. This move has caused increased anxiety among students, especially with ongoing assessments and upcoming exams they view as critical.
Student leaders emphasized that the Bosso campus was not leased but fully acquired. Historical records show that in 1982, FUT Minna paid Niger State Government ₦2.8 million for the property, then known as St. Malachy’s Teachers College.
They maintained that trying to reclaim the land after more than four decades violates the Land Use Act of 1978, which recognizes land transfers to the federal government for federal institutions.
Meanwhile, Comrade Hussaini Jamilu Ebbo, Zonal Coordinator of NANS Zone C, urged students to avoid attacking the state government on social media, noting that the Federal Ministry of Education has intervened. A meeting has been scheduled to resolve the dispute involving the Niger State Government and FUT Minna’s management.
The controversy stems from a letter dated October 3, 2025, in which the state government claimed that the lease on the land had expired. A follow-up letter dated November 27, 2025, instructed the university to vacate the premises by December 1, 2025.
The Niger State Government insists that the land was leased to the university for 30 years, and with the lease now expired, they have decided to repossess the property.
